Larne fire fighters met with ‘hostile crowd’ in Antiville

A crew from Larne Fire Station tasked to a burning barricade in the Linn Road area of Antiville last night was forced to “withdraw due to a hostile crowd”.

Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) said that as a result, fire fighters “withdrew from the scene”.

Meanwhile police came under attack from a 40-strong mob throwing bricks and a petrol bomb at Linn Road and Antiville Road.

A spokesperson for NIFRS said: “NIFRS responded to a call at 10.37pm to a report of a number of wheelie bins on fire at Linn Road, Larne. One fire appliance from Larne Fire Station attended the incident.

“Fire crews withdrew from the scene due to a hostile crowd.

“Fire crews returned to the scene at 11.40pm and extinguished the fires. Fire crews did not come under attack. The cause of the fires was determined as deliberate. The incident was dealt with at 11.58pm.”